Shampooer with foam-generating means

ABSTRACT

A shampooer for nap surfaces which supplies shampoo in liquid form to an elongated distributor. A rigid noncellular strip is mounted directly below the distributor, and a resilient sponge is secured to the strip. A brush is reciprocatingly driven into beating squeezing engagement with the sponge to turn the liquid into foam. The brush then carries the foam away from the sponge, deposits it on the carpet and works it in.

United States Patent Inventors Richard F. Druart Wallace D. Herrick, both of Grand Rapids, Mich.

App]. No. 848,524

Filed Aug. 8, 1969 Patented Sept. 7, 1971 Assignee Bissell Inc.

Grand Rapids, Mich.

SHAMPOOER WITH FOAM-GENERATING MEANS 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 15/50 R A471 11/03 Field of Search 15/29, 50,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,316,709 4/1943 Owen 15/47 3,441,969 5/1969 Dix et al. 15/50 R 3,467,977 9/1969 Helm 15/50 X Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts AttorneyAndrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall ABSTRACT: A shampooer for nap surfaces which supplies shampoo in liquid form to an elongated distributor. A rigid noncellular strip is mounted directly below the distributor, and a resilient sponge is secured to the strip. A brush is reciprocatingly driven into beating squeezing engagement with the sponge to turn the liquid into foam. The brush then carries the foam away from the sponge, deposits it on the carpet and works it in.

SHAMPOOER WITH FOAM-GENERATING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a sharnpooer with foam-generating means. More particularly, the invention is directed to a shampooer for the nap surfaces of carpets and the like and wherein a liquid detergent shampoo material is applied to the nap surface in the form of foam.

In recent years, do-it-yourself carpet and rug shampooing has become immensely popular. This has been primarily due to the advent of relatively inexpensive shampoo applicators such as that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,975,462 entitled AP- PARATUS FOR APPLYING DETERGENT TO RUGS AND THE LIKE." In most such applicators, liquid shampoo is distributed to a spongelike roller which, in the process of rolling over the floor, is compressed and turns the liquid into foam. The roller then applies the foam to the nap surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improvement over the devices mentioned above and contemplates utilization of a fixed sponge and reciprocating brush which beats against the sponge to form the desired foam. The brush carries the foam thus formed to the nap surface for cleaning. The construction is such that a relatively dry foam is produced.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. .2 is a front end elevation of the device, with parts removed, broken away and in section;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through the device; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section through the foam-generating and applying apparatus and showing the brush action.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawing, the inventionis embodied in a device for shampooing carpets and the like, which generally includes a manually operable handle 1, a liquid shampoo tank 2 secured to'handle 1 and a framelike lower housing'3. Housing 3 includes an upper cover 4 and a lower platformlike portion 5. l i

The shampooer is supported for reciprocating movement over the floor surface 6 by means which in this embodiment comprise a pair of rotatable rollers 7, which also may assist in working shampoo into the nap. Rollers 7 may be of any suitable construction, such as relatively rigid grooved plastic, and are suitably joumaled beneath housing portion 5.

The device includes a shampoo liquid supply means which includes tank 2 which connects through a conduit 8 to an elongated liquid distributor 9 secured to housing portion 5 along the transverse front edge thereof. Distributor 9 is provided with the usual series of openings 10 for liquid to pass downwardly through. Suitable well-known means, not shown, may be utilized for controlling flow of liquid shampoo from tank 2 to distributor 9.

Liquid passing through openings 10 is converted to foam and then applied to the nap surface. For this purpose, and in accordance with the invention, a fixed liquid-receiving assembly .11 is disposed beneath distributor 9 and comprises an elongated resilient sponge 12 of polyurethane or other material which is secured, as by an adhesive, to an elongated relatively rigid noncellular backing strip 13 of Nylon, Teflon or the like. As shown, strip 13 is secured beneath housing portion 5, as by screws 14. In addition, strip 13 is disposed directly beneath distributor openings 10 and its upper surface 15 inclines downwardly toward a top edge of sponge 12 to form a line engagement 16 therewith, for purposes to be described.

Further in accordance with the invention,;means are provided to beat and flex sponge 12 at relatively high frequency to cause liquid shampoo therein to be transformed into foam. For this purpose, an elongated brush 17 is anchored along a backing rod 18, which in turn is suitably pivotally joumaled beneath housing portion 5 in parallelism with assembly 11. Brush 17 is shown as having two rows of relatively flexible bristle tufts 19, which extend downwardly below housing portion 5 and assembly 11 for engagement with surface 6. Rod 18 is shown as being disposed very closely adjacent the upper portion of the exposed front face 20 of sponge l2 and is shaped to provide an edge 21 for purposes to be described.

Means are provided to oscillate rod 18 to thereby reciprocate brush 17 so that it alternately engages and disengages from the sponge. In the present embodiment, rod 18 is connected through a suitable arm 22, shaft 23 and crank mechanism 24 to the rotary output 25 of a motive means, such as an electric motor 26 mounted on the housing.

As best shown in FIG. 4, operation of motor 26 will cause rod 18 to oscillate so that backing edge 21 engages and squeezingly beats the upper portion of sponge face 20, near the relatively inflexible bases of the innermost row of bristle tufts 19. The lower portions of tufts 19, being progressively more flexible, are reciprocatingly and whippingly driven into and out of squeezing beating engagement with the face 20 of sponge 12, the squeezing action progressively increasing accordingly so that the majority of foam is squeezed from the lower portion of the sponge.

The squeezing-beating action turns shampoo liquid in the sponge into foam 27, which is carried away from sponge 12 by the brush and deposited on the nap surface thereby where the brush then proceeds to work the foam thereinto. The innermost row of tufts 19 serves primarily as an additional means for working the foam into the surface, and does not participate to any major extent in foam generation.

The frequency of oscillation and reciprocation should be relatively high, such as 1,800 per minute.

Since liquid falls from distributor 9 directly onto inclined surface 15 of strip 13, rather then onto the top of sponge 12, the liquid must run down surface 15 to line 16. This causes the liquid to spread out and contact the sponge in a thin line, rather than in heavy droplets. Since this line of liquid must pass substantially all the way through sponge 12 before reaching the major beating area, it has been found that a relatively dry foam is produced.

Sponge 12 thus is not only squeezingly confined between the beating members and the rigid backing during engagement of tufts l9 therewith, but is provided with shampoo in such a form that the nap surface is not overwetted.

The shampooer provides a unique system for foam generation, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated by the inventors.

The following claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

We claim:

1. In a device for applying liquid shampoo in the form of foam to a nap surface, the combination comprising:

a. a liquid distributor,

b. means to supply liquid shampoo to said distributor,

c. a sponge disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid from said distributor,

d. and means to alternately engage and disengage from said sponge to squeezingly beat said sponge at a substantial frequency to cause foam to be generated from the liquid in said sponge,

e. said last-named means also serving as means to work the generated foam into the nap surface.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said beating means (d) also comprises means for carrying generated foam from said sponge to the nap surface.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said beating means (d) comprises:

a. a brush backing disposed adjacent said sponge,

b. a brush anchored in said backing,

c. and means to oscillate said backing to thereby reciprocate said brush into squeezing engagement with said sponge.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said beating means (d) comprises:

a. a brush backing disposed adjacent said sponge,

b. a brush having flexible bristles anchored in said backing so that the bristle tufts are progressively more flexible downwardly from said backing,

c. and means to oscillate said backing to thereby reciprocate said brush into squeezing engagement with said sponge whereby the squeezing action is progressively greater downwardly along said sponge.

5. In the device of claim 1:

a. a noncellular backing for said sponge,

b. said backing having an upper surface disposed directly beneath said distributor for receiving liquid shampoo therefrom,

c. said backing surface being inclined downwardly toward said sponge.

6. in a device for applying liquid shampoo in the form of foam to a nap surface, the combination comprising:

a. an elongated liquid distributor,

b. means to supply liquid shampoo to said distributor,

c. a fixed sponge assembly disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid therefrom, said assembly including:

1. an elongated sponge, 2. and a relatively rigid elongated backing for said sponge,

d. and means to alternately engage and disengage from said sponge to squeezingly beat said sponge at a substantial frequency and confine it against said backing during said engagement to cause foam to be generated from the liquid in said sponge.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said beating means (d) comprises:

a. a brush backing disposed adjacent said sponge,

b. a brush anchored in said brush backing,

c. and means to oscillate said brush backing to thereby reciprocate said brush into and out of squeezing engagement with said sponge.

8. The device of claim 6:

a. in which said sponge backing has an upper surface disposed directly beneath said distributor for receiving liquid therefrom,

b. said sponge backing surface being inclined downwardly toward said sponge to spread liquid thereover.

9. In a device for applying liquid shampoo in the form of foam to a nap surface, the combination comprising:

a. a liquid distributor,

b. means to supply liquid shampoo to said distributor,

c. a sponge disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid from said distributor,

c. a sponge disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid from said distributor,

d. and flexible brush means:

1. to whippingly and squeezingly beat said sponge at a substantial frequency to cause foam to be generated from the liquid in said sponge,

2. to carry generated foam from said sponge to the nap surface,

3. and to subsequently work the foam into the surface. 

1. In a device for applying liquid shampoo in the form of foam to a nap surface, the combination comprising: a. a liquid distributor, b. means to supply liquid shampoo to said distributor, c. a sponge disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid from said distributor, d. and means to alternately engage and disengage from said sponge to squeezingly beat said sponge at a substantial frequency to cause foam to be generated from the liquid in said sponge, e. said last-named means also serving as means to work the generated foam into the nap surface.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said beating means (d) also comprises means for carrying generated foam from said sponge to the nap surface.
 2. to carry generated foam from said sponge to the nap surface,
 2. and a relatively rigid elongated backing for said sponge, d. and means to alternately engage and disengage from said sponge to squeezingly beat said sponge at a substantial frequency and confine it against said backing during said engagement to cause foam to be generated from the liquid in said sponge.
 3. and to subsequently work the foam into the surface.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said beating means (d) comprises: a. a brush backing disposed adjacent said sponge, b. a brush anchored in said backing, c. and means to oscillate said backing to thereby reciprocate said brush into squeezing engagement with said sponge.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein said beating means (d) comprises: a. a brush backing disposed adjacent said sponge, b. a brush having flexible bristles anchored in said backing so that the bristle tufts are progressively more flexible downwardly from said backing, c. and means to oscillate said backing to thereby reciprocate said brush into squeezing engagement with said sponge whereby the squeezing action is progressively greater downwardly along said sponge.
 5. In the device of claim 1: a. a noncellular backing for said sponge, b. said backing having an upper surface disposed directly beneath said distributor for receiving liquid shampoo therefrom, c. said backing surface being inclined downwardly toward said sponge.
 6. In a device for applying liquid shampoo in the form of foam to a nap surface, the combination comprising: a. an elongated liquid distributor, b. means to supply liquid shampoo to said distributor, c. a fixed sponge assembly disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid therefrom, said assembly including:
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein said beating means (d) comprises: a. a brush backing disposed adjacent said sponge, b. a brush anchored in said brush backing, c. and means to oscillate said brush backing to thereby reciprocate said brush into and out of squeezing engagement with said sponge.
 8. The device of claim 6: a. in which said sponge backing has an upper surface disposed directly beneath said distributor for receiving liquid therefrom, b. said sponge backing surface being inclined downwardly toward said sponge to spread liquid thereover.
 9. In a device for applying liquid shampoo in the form of foam to a nap surface, the combination comprising: a. a liquid distributor, b. means to supply liquid shampoo to said distributor, c. a sponge disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid from said distributor, c. a sponge disposed below said distributor for receiving liquid from said distributor, d. and flexible brush means: 